Auxiliary artificial heart of an embedded type

Abstract

An artificial heart has a driving section, a nozzle section, a pump section for insertion into a ventricle of a human heart, and a sealing section forming a seal for a driving shaft extending from the driving section for driving the pump section. A sealing liquid chamber filled with a sealing liquid is formed around the driving shaft between the sealing mechanism and the driving section. The sealing liquid in the sealing liquid chamber maintains the sealing mechanism in a liquid-tight state and lubricates the sealing mechanism, whereby blood is prevented from entering the driving section. Even if blood happens to enter the driving section, the blood is mixed with the sealing liquid and does not coagulate. Thus, the operation of the artificial heart is not suppressed.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An artificial heart including a main body, said main body comprising: 
       (a) a pump section having a proximal end;  
       (b) a driving section having a driving shaft provided on said proximal end of said pump section for driving said pump section via said driving shaft, said driving shaft having an outer peripheral surface;  
       (c) a sealing mechanism provided between said driving section and said pump section, for maintaining said driving shaft in a liquid tight state and preventing blood from entering said driving section;  
       (d) a sealing liquid chamber surrounding said driving shaft between said sealing mechanism and said driving section;  
       (e) a dynamic-pressure bearing provided on said driving shaft, and a rotational sliding surface formed with spiral dynamic-pressure generating grooves therein, said dynamic-pressure bearing supplying a sealing liquid to said sealing mechanism through said spiral dynamic-pressure generating grooves.  
     
     
       2. The artificial heart according to  claim 1 , wherein said outer peripheral surface of said driving shaft is covered with a coating film comprising plated metal and fine particles made of tetrafluoroethylene and derivatives thereof distributed in said plated metal. 
     
     
       3. The artificial heart according to  claim 1  wherein the surfaces of components which contact blood or other body fluids or both are covered with a coating film comprising plated metal and fine particles of tetrafluoroethylene and derivatives thereof in said plated metal. 
     
     
       4. The artificial heart according to  claim 1 , further comprising a sealing liquid bag made of flexible material for filling with sealing liquid and embedment in a human body, said sealing liquid chamber being connected to said sealing liquid bag. 
     
     
       5. The artificial heart according to  claim 1 , wherein said dynamic-pressure bearing is made of ceramic material. 
     
     
       6. The artificial heart according to  claim 1 , wherein said dynamic-pressure bearing comprises a cylindrical portion having an outer peripheral surface, for receiving radial load, and said dynamic-pressure generating grooves are formed in an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion of said dynamic-pressure seal bearing. 
     
     
       7. The artificial heart according to  claim 1 , wherein said driving section has an interior for filling with a sealing liquid, and said sealing liquid chamber extends to said interior of said driving section. 
     
     
       8. The artificial heart according to  claim 1 , wherein said driving shaft has a central axis, and said dynamic-pressure generating grooves are asymmetrical with respect to the central axis of the driving shaft.